


An act of cowardice

by FloweryAlien



Series: Garak/Bashir Short Story Time!! [4]
Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Death, Deathfic, Final Kiss, Friends to Lovers, Last words, M/M, Sad, Tissue Warning, dying, pre slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-25
Updated: 2014-12-25
Packaged: 2018-03-03 10:33:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2847821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FloweryAlien/pseuds/FloweryAlien
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After visiting a planet to cure it of a terminal disease, Julian and Garak stumble upon some less than friendly inhabitants.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An act of cowardice

Garak stood tall ready to face his death valiantly. The possessor of the weapon that would lead to Garak's demise held his phaser to Garak's head. He was located almost 10 feet away from him.

 _There's no way the good doctor could save me now_ , Garak thought smiling to himself.

The two had come to this planet looking to clear it of a rather mysterious virus that supposedly Cardassians where immune to. Along with the virus they ended up finding aggressive survivors ready to do what ever it takes to protect themselves.

Garak raised his hands out so that they where now facing his assailant.

"I do hope you hurry." Garak decided to say casually. "You should never keep your target waiting." He continued with a small yet intimidating smile.

The man sneered.

He shot.

Garak stood perfectly still, his eyes wide awaiting death.

However the assailant fell hard to the ground. Garak was still alive, looking baffled at the fallen man. The alien was now in a dark pool of his own blood. A phaser whole burned into the back of his clothing exposing his pale green bones.

Bashir was opposite from him holding out a phaser with both hands, His face shown a bitter sweet smile. It was he who made the shot that killed the alien. Garak stared back at him appalled at the sudden rescue by the young doctor.

However, Julian noticed something was off with Garak.

He was smiling oddly as something dripped down his face.  "Almost . . . . . Doctor." He then lowered to his knees. His smile had faded.

Bashir's eyes widened "Garak?!"

Bashir ran over to him helping to prop him up before he fell on the floor. He looked Garak over. It was as he had feared: the assailant had fired before Bashir had the chance to kill him.

Blood now professed out of a wound located on the left side of Garak's head, It dripped around his cranial scales and down his face, hitting the floor forming a small crimson puddle.

"Doctor" Garak managed to mumble out over the pain he now felt from the wound. He reached his hand up to touch it, but his hand quickly recoiled from the sudden surge of pain.

"Yes, it's me. Your going to be alright." He said trying to raise him up to his feet. "We just have to get you to the runa-"

Garak cut him off.

"No, I'm afraid, my dear that there's no time for that," Garak said while managing to hold up a hand. His face had a small look of humor at the thought of being able to make it to the runabout.

"Time should not be so foolishly wasted." he continued as he sat his hand down over his chest, taking a labored breath.

"Don't be ridiculous," Bashir said seriously, "Where talking about your life it's important you get immediate medical attention." After a moment of pondering, Julian felt a lump in his throat as he realized: Garak was right.

There was no time left.

Bashir lowered back down to his seated position, looking at his dying friend. He took a deep breath, pushing back the frustration and sorrow that was now welling up inside him.

"If only I acted quicker." 

Garak looked up at him, staring directly into his eyes, trying to form a smile. "Don't cry for me, Doctor." His smile faded, and he made a slight sigh, "I wish you knew how I don't deserve them."

Bashir's eyebrows furrowed, "What ever you've done in the past I'm sure tha-"

Once again Garak cut him off.

"The past, my dear I'm talking about now." A hint of frustration was in his wavering voice.

His eyelids where now barely held open. And his tone had become softer.

"You see, there's something I have to tell you." He took another breath, "When I first met you, you where something of a game to me. Just something to simply pass the time. Something to make my secluded life on the station just a tad more tolerable." Garak paused swallowing. His voice now was a quiet whisper.  
"But, you became a true friend to me." he took another breath turning away from Julian. "However, eventually you became, more" he turned back into Julian eyes. "than just a friend."

"More?" Bashir managed to merely mumble. 

"I kept it to myself." Garak darted away his glossed over eyes.

Than looked back up at him, blue eyes locked with Bashir's, which where now filling with tears, no longer able to hold them back.

"You where a light in my lonely,  world, I thought that telling you would somehow alter that, and I didn't want our friendship to ever change. I was a coward."

"Your not a coward, Garak. No more that I am." Bashir said softly stroking his hair trying to calm Garak down.

"No my dear I am more a coward that you can ever know."

He than took a short breath, than lifted a hand to touch Bashir's cheek. His eyes finally closed.

Than he used what ever strength he had left to lean up and placed a chaste kiss on Jilian's soft lips.

Julian looked down at him sadly and clearly in a state of shock. Tears ran down his cheek as he tried to register what Garak had just told him.

Garak hid deep inside of him the fact that he was _in love_ with him. It all became apparent now, the flirting and the launch dates. How could Julian have been that thick headed?

"Garak?" he said softly touching his cheek. Garak's eyes where tightly closed, and his body felt slightly colder as well as limp.

"Garak? . . . Garak!!" Bashir looked down at him

There was no answer. Garak's eyes remained closed.

Bashir continued to sit there holding back the sobs, leaning over his dead friend. His voice was muffled by his arm, that was now folded on Garak's chest, on which he leaned.

"You can't leave me, Garak!" The inevitable truth finally sinking in to him. 

He took a breath trying to calm himself down, but nothing would cause the pain in his heart to go away.

Bashir looked back up to Garak's now peaceful face. Garak had said he  was a coward but Julian was beggining to wonder who infact the true coward was. Bashir than said the words Garak would never be able to hear him say.

"I love you, Garak I have always loved you and I always will!" His voice, now a faint mumble.

"Always."

 

 

END


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